Anthericum plant named ‘Starlight’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Anthericum  ‘Starlight’ that is characterized by its variegated foliage with light yellow-green and creamy-white midribs, and multiple longitudinal stripes throughout the darker green leaf blade, its yellow-green inflorescence stalks and its ust growth habit, golden yellow colored flower buds, white flowers with yellow tips and bright yellow stamens, and its non-viable seeds.

Botanical classification: Anthericum saundersiae.

Varietal denomination: ‘Starlight’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAnthericum saundersiae and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Starlight’. The new cultivar of Anthericum lily grass is a newherbaceous perennial grown for container and landscape use.

The new cultivar, ‘Starlight’ arose as a naturally occurring shootmutation on an unnamed and unpatented plant of Anthericum saundersiae ina garden in Durban, Kwazulu Natal, Republic of South Africa.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by shootdivision in July of 2010 in Durban, Kwazulu Natal, Republic of SouthAfrica. Asexual propagation by shoot division has determined that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Starlight’ as a distinct cultivar of Anthericum.

-   -   1. ‘Starlight’ exhibits variegated foliage with light        yellow-green and creamy-white midribs, and multiple longitudinal        stripes throughout the darker green leaf blade.    -   2. ‘Starlight’ exhibits light yellow-green inflorescence stalks.    -   3. ‘Starlight’ exhibits golden yellow colored flower buds.    -   4. ‘Starlight’ exhibits white flowers with yellow tips and        bright yellow stamens.    -   5. ‘Starlight’ exhibits non-viable seeds that are sterile;        germination produces white leaves that quickly die.

The parent plant of ‘Starlight’ differs from ‘Starlight’ in having greenfoliage and green flowering stalks. ‘Starlight’ can be most closelycompared to the cultivars ‘Agristripes’ (not patented) and ‘Variegata’(not patented). ‘Agristripes’ is similar to ‘Starlight’ in havingvariegated foliage and in having a compact plant habit. ‘Agristripes’differs from ‘Starlight’ in having green inflorescence stalks, greenflower stalks, dark green midribs, and in producing viable seeds.‘Variegata’ differs from ‘Starlight’ in having flower stalks that aregreen in color, in having foliage variegation with green centers andwhite margins, and in producing viable seeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of a 2 year-old plant of the new Anthericumas grown in a greenhouse in a 17-cm container in Boskoop, Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Starlight’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of‘Starlight’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘Starlight’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Anthericum.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 2 year-old plants as grown ina greenhouse in 17-cm containers in Boskoop, Netherlands. The phenotypeof the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Year around in the Netherlands in a            greenhouse.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Clump-forming, upright and gently cascading.        -   Height and spread.—Average height of 75 cm in height and 50            cm in spread.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 8 to 13.        -   Plant vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Diseases.—Not disease problems have been observed,            Anthericum plants in general are disease free.        -   Root description.—Fleshy, 199D in color, no rhizome were            observed.        -   Propagation.—Shoot division.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.        -   Shoot number.—Average of 80 shoots in a 17-cm container.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Ranked.        -   Leaf apex.—Long acuminate.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, mid rib 145B in color on upper            surface and 155D on lower surface, other viens match leaf            color.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf size.—Matures to an average of 46 cm in length and 6.5            mm in width.        -   Leaf number.—Average of 12 leaves per shoot.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate, ranked, grass-like.        -   Leaf surface.—Both surfaces glabrous, dull and ridged.        -   Leaf aspect.—Emerges upright and gently cascades as they            mature, canaliculate with lower mid protruding on lower            surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young foliage (on new shoots) upper and lower            surface; color between 137D and 144A, mature upper surface;            137B with mid rib and stripes in centers 145A to 145D,            mature lower surface; 137B with mid rib and stripes in            center 155D and 145D and suffused with 167C at base of leaf.        -   Petiole.—None, sessile to base.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Branched raceme at teminus of flower            scape (peduncle).        -   Inflorescence size.—Reaches up to 10.6 cm in height and            about 8.6 cm in width.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower quantity.—Average of 25 per branched raceme.        -   Flower lastingness.—An average of 1 week, only bract is            persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Oval in shape, an average of 3 mm in diameter            and 5 mm in length, a blend of 10D, 18D and 17A in color,            glabrous surface.        -   Flower aspect.—Held outward from peduncle (rachis).        -   Flower shape.—Rotate.        -   Flower size.—About 1.2 cm (with pistil) in depth and 2 cm in            diameter.        -   Tepals.—6 (2 rows of 3), outer sepals; narrow elliptic to            oblanceolate in shape, an average of 1 cm in length and 3 mm            in width, inner sepals; elliptic in shape, an average of 1            cm in length and 5 mm in width, all tepals; entire margin,            acute apex, cuneate base, non overlapping, upper and lower            surfaces are glabrous, smooth and shiny, color of upper            surfaces (inner side); NN155D, tips are 17B, center rib            fades from the bottom to the tip a blend of 17C and 16C,            lower surface (outer side);        -   Bracts.—At base of petiole, dry and membranous on both            surfaces, typically 3, lanceolate with center one larger            with an extensed awn, an average of 3 mm in length and 2 mm            in width with awn 4 mm in length and very fine, a blend of            200B and 155C in color.        -   Peduncles.—Main scape; 40 cm in length (to base of racemes)            and 3 mm in width at center (narrowing to 1 mm at apex),            oval-flat in shape, glabrous surface, 1C in color, raceme            rachis; an average of 3, oval-flat in shape, an average of            5.8 cm in length and 1 mm in width, flower internode length            an average of 4 mm, glabrous surface, 11C in color.        -   Pedicels.—Round and wider at apex, moderately strong, an            averge of 4 mm in length and 0.7 mm in width, held at a 45°            angle to peduncle, glabrous surface, 163D in color.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, stigma is an average of 0.3 mm in            length and width, and 155A in color, style is cylindrical,            about 8 mm in length and <1 mm in width and NN155D in color,            ovary is superior, globose-obovate in shape, about 1.5 mm in            length and 1 mm in width and 7A in color.        -   Androcoecium.—6 stamens, anthers are an average of 3 mm in            length and 0.8 mm in width and a blend of 7B and 17B in            color, filaments are about 1.5 mm in length and NN155C in            color, pollen is moderate in quantity and a blend of 7B and            17B in color.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Anthericum plant named‘Starlight’ as herein illustrated and described.